The Iron Lady Page #14

DICKENS:

Nelly-

NELLY, tear stained and bereft, holds out the bracelet

box to DICKENS

SILENCE-

DICKENS (CONT’D)

It was a mistake-

DICKENS reluctantly takes the box. NELLY searches in her

bag for her key.

NELLY:

Did you send Catherine to

me?

DICKENS:

Yes.

NELLY:

How could you be so cruel to

her?

DICKENS wavers, yet remains silent.

NELLY (CONT’D)

She is the mother of your

children.

DICKENS:

And for that I will always

be grateful but I do not

love her.

NELLY:

But why-?

NELLY’s eyes search with genuine despair.

DICKENS:

She understands nothing. She

sees nothing. I thought if she

saw you she would understand

that I have nothing with her. I

wanted her to see it.

DICKENS, consumed by a fury, NELLY shocked, by the

volcanic passion.

Blue Revisions dated 11th June 2012 74.

NELLY:

It? What is it, Charles?

What is it that we are?

Would you call us friends?

Perhaps we are friends.We

listen to one another as if

we were. You have been

kind..so kind to my

family..A friend...And yet

you do not feel like a

friend.

DICKENS stills her hands, cupping her fingers clasping

the key.

NELLY (CONT’D)

And when your wife asked

me...when she asked me if I was

fond of you... I could not

honestly reply. I wanted to say

‘No’

A POLICE OFFICER passing, drawn by the noise.

POLICE OFFICER:

Can I be of assistance Sir?

DICKENS offers a half smile of reassurance to the POLICE

OFFICER.

POLICE OFFICER (CONT’D)

Is this young lady troubling

you, Sir?

DICKENS:

No..No..Thank you..She is not

troubling me at all. All is

well.

The POLICE OFFICER nods, moving on-

They stand in silence by the door, DICKENS’ hand still

resting on NELLY, the key in the lock.

DICKENS (CONT’D)

May I come in?

(silence)

Nelly-?

62 INT. DRAWING ROOM. AMPTHILL SQUARE. 1858. NIGHT. 62

DICKENS and NELLY sit in silence, across the room from

one another, NELLY’s quiet fury sobered now. Yet

neither able to make a move. A lamp lit low the only

light.

Blue Revisions dated 11th June 2012 75.

A vein in DICKENS’ temple pulsing, lost in some deep

internal conflict which he cannot speak of, a deep inner

consultation of the self until-

The PRESS of a floorboard overhead. They both look up,

hearts catching in their chests. A cough. MRS TERNAN

rolling over in bed.

The house once more falls silent.

DICKENS:

It is late.

NELLY nods, makes to stand. DICKENS stands. They look at

one another, NELLY makes to show him out. At once he

catches her hand, leaning into her, his forehead pressed

to hers. NELLY hesitant, sees the despair flickering, in

DICKENS face.

NELLY’s eyes meet his. They stand, close, lips not yet

meeting, breath warm, held in one another’s gaze, lost

in silent communion until-

DICKENS leans into NELLY, head bowed, his forehead close

to her cheek, his body almost buckling. NELLY eases her

arms around him, holding him in almost rocking embrace.

His fingers intertwine with hers-

CLOSE UP ON their hands, intertwined, tentatively

exploring, finding one another in these tiny flickering

moments of silent physical connection.

On NELLY, CLOSE UP, in her face all the conflicting

emotions, their lips almost meeting, the barest whisper

of a kiss.

They stand, entwined and silent

63 INT. BEDROOM. GADS HILL. KENT. 1858. DAY. 63

DICKENS standing with a CARPENTER who is putting shelving

and a partition between the dressing room and CATHERINE and

DICKENS bedroom. He turns, CATHERINE staring at him, he

looks at her with quiet, remorseless gaze.

63A EXT. HEATH. LONDON. 1858. DAY. 63A

The crown of a hill, DICKENS just visible head,, NELLY

hurrying to keep up, they are lost in conversation. We are

behind them.

DICKENS:

...I would walk from the Aldwych to

Camden to Highgate then back to

Westminster and then on to

Millbank.

Blue Revisions dated 11th June 2012 76.

NELLY:

You have London in your blood.

DICKENS:

Alright?

NELLY nods, breathless yet exhilarated.

NELLY:

Yes. Yes-

DICKENS:

I walk at quite a pace.

Their feet walking on.

64

INT. BEACH. MARGATE. KENT. 1885. DAY. 64

NELLY walking, boots sinking in the sand-

A tiny figure etched across the sand, a dot amidst the

vastness of the landscape.

65

INT. CARRIAGE. TRAIN. NEAR STAPLEHURST. KENT. DAY. 1865. 65

The TEARING STEADY RHYTHM OF TRAIN WHEELS AGAINST STEEL AND

TRACK-

The STREAK of countryside, FLEETING and ABSTRACTED, a BLUR of

light and colour beyond.

Then just visible in the glass, NELLY’s reflection indistinct

yet rippling in the glass-

A SHADOWY FIGURE OF A MAN CAUGHT IN THE GLASS OPPOSITE HER.

66

EXT. PATH. HAMPSTEAD HEATH. LONDON. 1858. DAY. 66

Dawn-

NELLY and DICKENS just visible walking through the early

morning fog, lost in conversation. NELLY strides ahead,

turning, holding out a hand pulling him up the hill-

SUDDENLYCHARLEY:

Father-

CHARLEY DICKENS, books in hand, stops in surprise, eyes

falling briefly on NELLY, with quiet recognition.

DICKENS:

Charley, what are you doing here?

Blue Revisions dated 11th June 2012 77.

CHARLEY:

I walk this way, if I have taken

the earlier train-

DICKENS:

You remember Miss Ternan-?

CHARLEY nods to NELLY in greeting, stiffening a little.

CHARLEY:

Of course.

NELLY:

Charley, how are you? You look

well.

CHARLEY:

I am.

DICKENS:

Charley is working in the city.

NELLY:

How very clever.

CHARLEY:

Not really. A friend of

father’s.

NELLY:

You are well?

CHARLEY:

Quite well. Thank you Miss

Ternan.

NELLY:

I still have the glove.

NELLY holds up her gloved hands with a smile.

NELLY (CONT’D)

...which you rescued for me. I

would have been most unhappy to

have lost it. They are my

favourite pair.

CHARLEY:

I am sure you would have found

another. Perhaps not of equal

colour or quality but easy enough

to pick up-

NELLY stung, DICKENS fury evident in his face. NELLY

deflects, saving face

Blue Revisions dated 11th June 2012 78.

NELLY:

We were about to take breakfast.

Will you join us?

CHARLEY:

Thank you. I am already late.

CHARLEY raises his hat to NELLY, moving swiftly on.

Suddenly he stops-

CHARLEY (CONT’D)

Father.

(beat)

Will we see you at home?

DICKENS silent. CHARLEY continues his journey along the

path. DICKENS and NELLY together, yet oddly separate.

67 EXT. GARDEN. GADS HILL. 1858. DAY. 67

A beautiful summers day-

DICKENS family enjoy a garden party, playing mad three

legged races on the lawn, orchestrated by DICKENS, who

stands caught between reading a newspaper and watching the

race.

DICKENS:

Faster Plorn. Faster. You keep

letting everyone else win. The

extra leg is there to add to your

speed.

CATHERINE sits close by drinking tea. GEORGINA seated close

by.

DICKENS clutches a newspaper in his hand which he slams down

infuriated.

CATHERINE:

You could not keep it quiet

forever, Charles.

CATHERINE pours herself some tea, looking at DICKENS with

distracted concern.

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